Couple killed in home 3 others slain in other violence in Baltimore

Five slayings -- four shootings and a stabbing -- were reported early yesterday and late Wednesday, bringing Baltimore's murder total to 10 for the first week of 1993, city police said.

Among the victims were a 65-year-old man and an unidentified woman in her 40s found shot to death at a Northwest Baltimore apartment and a 17-year-old Northeast Baltimore youth whose mother came home to find he had been stabbed repeatedly in the head and throat.

It is the second year in a row that the city began with a spurt of homicides. Last year, when Baltimore reported a record 335 murders, 12 people were killed in the first seven days, police said.

The slaying of the man, Julius Rogers Jr., and the woman occurred shortly before 2 a.m. at his home in the Wakefield Apartments in the 4300 block of Wakefield Road in Forest Park. Police investigating a report of gunshots were directed to a second-floor apartment by residents standing outside.

The victims, both shot, were found lying next to each other. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said that they had made no arrests last night and were unsure of the motive for the slayings.

The other three killings were reported Wednesday evening.

* About 11 p.m., Lamont Grayson, 19, of the 1600 block of Homestead St., died at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center of a gunshot wound he sustained about an hour earlier in the 500 block of E. 20th St.

Two other men, whose names were not released by police last night, also were hit by bullets and were taken to Union Memorial Hospital to be treated for wounds to the legs, police said.

No arrests have been made, and the motive for the shootings isn't known, police said.

* About 8:30 p.m., Antwon Payne, 17, died at Johns Hopkins Hospital of a gunshot wound to the chest he suffered about 9:05 a.m. at his home in the 1200 block of Harford Ave.

A friend of the Payne youth, Jeffrey Johnson, 19, was charged with first-degree murder, police said.

The two may have been playing with a revolver, and Mr. Johnson apparently was holding the weapon when it discharged and a bullet hit the Payne youth, investigators said.

Mr. Johnson dragged the Payne youth outside to the pavement in front of the house, police said. Detectives said that they believe the victim was taken outside to make it appear that he had been shot on the street.

Mr. Johnson, of the 2400 block of Orleans St., was being held pending a bail hearing today.

* Another homicide was reported at 5:15 p.m. in the 2400 block of Gainsborough Court in Northeast Baltimore near the county line. Police said that Donte Keith Lewis, 17, was found dead in his bedroom.

The youth's mother discovered her son's body on his bed when she returned home from work.

Police said that it appeared that the youth died from multiple stab wounds to the head and neck and that his hands were bound.

Police said that they did not know the motive for the slaying and that there were no signs of forced entry. The youth's room appeared to be in disarray, but it was not known if anything was missing, police said.

Anyone with any information about the killings can call the homicide unit at 396-2100.